Great Serpent Mound

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View from the Great Serpent Mound, part of the lower picture
GIS map of Ohio's Great Serpent Mound

The Serpent Mound is one of the more than 50 known gestalt artificial mound ( Mound ), the animals reproduce. The mounds of earth are also known as Effigy Mounds. The Great Serpent Mound is located in the USA in the state of Ohio and is one of the most famous mounds in the USA. The word serpent in the name refers to the common assumption that it represents a snake.

The Great Serpent Mound was discovered in 1846 by Ephraim George Squier and Edwin H. Davis during a land survey and was then comprehensively documented. In 1848 the book Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley was published , with a detailed map and description of the mound attached.

Origin, purpose and structure

The period of origin is estimated at 960 to 1200 AD, but there are also estimates of a much earlier origin. In all likelihood it was built from clay by the tribes of the time for a ceremonial purpose.

Very little is known about the peoples who lived in the east of today's United States from 1000 BC to 1200 AD, as most of the finds are badly weathered due to the effects of the weather. However, it is widely believed that the Adena culture built the Great Serpent Mound .

The "curled up" rear part of the snake (2008)

The mound is 380 m long, 6 m wide and 1.2 m high. It is believed that he is portrayed as a snake holding an egg between its jaws in order to subsequently devour it. The snake looks as if it is about to unroll in order to slide away. Seven turns of the body are already open, but the rearmost part is still curled up in three turns. Despite a whole series of other theories on representation, the one mentioned has been able to establish itself as the most recognized in the professional world.

In the so-called egg of the snake, researchers found a circle of soot-blackened stones. Therefore, it is believed that the Great Serpent Mound served a ceremonial purpose. Although graves have been found in the vicinity of this mound, no graves, human remains or any other evidence of burial sites have been found in the mound itself.

The mound today

The Mound in 1940

The mound is a tourist attraction because of its fame and size. There is a small museum, an observation tower and a car park near the mound. The mound is located on a cliff overlooking the Bush Creek valley.

Since July 19, 1964, the Serpent Mound has the status of a National Historic Landmark . In October 1966, it was listed as a site on the National Register of Historic Places . In 2008, the Serpent Mound was from the federal government for inclusion in the list of World Heritage of UNESCO proposed.

literature

  • Peter James, Nick Thorpe: Halley, Hünen, Hinkelstein. The great mysteries of mankind. dtv, Munich 2002, ISBN 3423621141

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Ohio. National Park Service , accessed February 4, 2020.
  2. ^ Serpent Mound in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed February 4, 2020.
  3. ^ UNESCO: Serpent Mound, Ohio

Coordinates: 39 ° 1 ′ 0 ″  N , 83 ° 26 ′ 0 ″  W.